Are We There Yet?
WHY NOT?
Pima Animal Care Center (PACC) is working on and piloting protocols to save more lives. Their goal is to be a No Kill Shelter. A No kill shelter reserves euthanized for those who are irremediably suffering from physical pain, which means the saveable are saved.
The challenge to becoming no kill includes resources, both human and financial within the county shelter system,
options within the community (that’s up to all of us)
and shelter protocol that consistently uses both to the fullest extent possible.
The good news is that each time No Kill Pima County has had this conversation with the shelter and with you, we are often talking about a narrower and narrower group of animals who are at risk. There certainly are times of extra challenge and regression, but in general there has been a remarkable progression from 2012, when we started drawing attention to the 48% save rate and the facts that healthy feral cats were killed at intake, healthy pets whose owners requested they be put down were killed and shelter dogs with upper respiratory infections (kennel cough) had no guarantees.
Ariel has diabetes and a deadline of April 7, 2018. Merrick had a deadline for diabetes and was saved.
In 2017, NKPC reported an 85% save rate, as of June 30th; and PACC reported 87% as of December 31st. One category of saveable animals we continue to have challenges with are those with treatable medical conditions like diabetes who are put on notice of death if not adopted/rescued within a short period of time; and, animals who HAVE been put down for treatable, if not curable, conditions such as poor body scores, renal disease, suspected/undiagnosed early cancer, suspected liver issues or calcivirus with mouth ulcers.
If and when PACC chooses to give ‘deadline notice’ for ALL saveable pets before they die, instead of a small percentage of them,
how can/will we, the public, help meet the need?
The need is both for more people/homes and financial support. NKPC’s Each One Medical Fund (EOMF) has supported shelter pets with consults and services from veterinary specialists in the community and with fundraisers where YOU have rallied. PACC’s foundation, Friends of PACC, has assisted with specialty vet care and PACC has received a private grant for a 4th veterinarian and 2 more vet techs at the shelter.
Kira wasnt given a deadline notice, the plan was “euthanasia” after a biopsy showed a cancerous mass in her ear.
But a volunteer catvocate stepped up and the EOMF and you saved her life with a total ear canal ablation.
Please continue to donate to medical funds and fundraisers that support the pets at PACC.
Placement is often a deal breaker for saveable shelter pets. In some cases PACC will use their foster homes for medical cases, which leaves room for and time for others to receive the care they need, but the more difficult challenge is when PACC gives a deadline for the community to save them because they are not able to (like diabetes). There are several rescues and shelters who take and save those in desperate need, but not nearly enough to save them all. Those that do it over and over again are at great risk of over-stretching their financial and human capabilities. Those organizations who use foster homes for severe medical conditions need more homes as well as financial support.
Please give and give generously to those organizations that take the animals at risk of death at the county shelter:
those who have been given a deadline to leave OR WILL DIE.
Pinta, age 8, had a deadline for diabetes and kennel cough, RESCUED!
Please consider and re-consider, if you could foster (or adopt) a shelter pet with a treatable medical condition,
who may have a month, or more often MANY years, of quality of life
if given the opportunity.
Fiona, FELV positive with stomatitis, ADOPTED
The other category at risk at PACC are the behaviorally challenged dogs. They range from the sweetheart dogs who love people but just cannot get along with other dogs and need to be a ‘one and only’ to those who PACC will deem a danger to society and the only option is a humane sanctuary.
HELP us reach out and find those THOUSANDS of families in our community who have just one dog,
will always want just one dog and they don’t hang out in the dog parks!!
All currently hoping to be an ‘only dog’ family member: Starfish at PACC, Holly with rescue, Gaia with rescue, Clara with rescue
and Jupiter in a PACC foster who is ‘picky’ about his friends
WE NEED THOSE ONE DOG FAMILIES to know there are so many waiting at shelters and rescues in this community. (NKPC will be starting a One and Only campaign in the not too distant future, which will include training support for adopters, and we are open to suggestions and help).
PACC volunteers implemented a ‘decompression program’ for those who come to the shelter in a state of shock and fear which has helped so many who may have not made it out alive in the past, if their fear resulted in human bites and/or their demeanor meant they were a danger to adopters. Other in-house volunteer support services are in the works as well, to intervene with dogs and cats who, with socialization, have quicker adoptions and better outcomes.
PLEASE VOLUNTEER!
PACC does not currently have adequate evaluations or rehab services for dogs that show signs of aggression. Many are found to be fine once they leave the shelter, but that evaluation strategy is not always available. PACC has concluded that many dogs with one or even more bites, depending on the situation, can be released from the shelter, but may require that only another rescue/shelter organization take them and not the general public.
WE NEED MORE RESCUES OR SHELTERS that take behaviorally challenged dogs with a deadline to leave the shelter or die.
These are dogs who have the ability or potential to be a loving pet but they also have bite histories and may have containment issues (i.e. need secure fencing or they may jump or dig their way out and could hurt another dog or person).
WE NEED MORE FOSTER HOMES
for those organizations that depend on fosters to be able to save PACC dogs.
Sara was given a deadline for snapping, lunging and then biting staff in PACC clinic.
At the clinic it was discovered she had a fractured tooth. The tooth was removed, she was rescued and adjusted well!
WE NEED MORE PROFESSIONAL POSITIVE TRAINERS/TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
in the community to provide research based, force free training for the dogs in shelters, foster homes and adoptive homes
who need help to learn how to become a permanent member of a family.
And we need more permanent, humane sanctuaries in this country for those who cannot live safely in or find a home who can provide for them.
A No Kill Shelter cannot be accomplished
by the shelter or the community alone – only together.
A No Kill Community can not be achieved
without all shelters, their partners and the public
coming together to save lives.
HOW WILL YOU HELP?
Learn more at nokillpimacounty.org